Sponsored

Labels

Give me Rangers or I die!!!

I
was in Enugu on match day duties to catch the game between Rangers
International and Sunshine Stars in the Nigeria Professional Football League.

I
had heard of the match day experience at Enugu especially since the current
season and I had seen games on television but it would be my first time at the
stadium to watch a game this this term.

I
was in Omoku the previous day for the game between Go Round FC and Delta Force in
the lower division so I only arrived in Enugu about 3pm and went straight to a
hotel that was a five minute walk to the stadium.

As
I made my way to the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium now rechristened, The Cathedral, it
was like there was a war about to start in the town and people were running away.

It
was frenetic as everybody was walking as fast as possible to the stadium,
talking excitedly at the top of their voices.

Since
my pace was slow, voices that passed by me talked about Rangers winning the
league this year.

The
most popular statement I heard was Rangers g’emeri asompi League a (Rangers will win the league this year)

Others
looked at the short term and basically talked about winning the game at hand
against Sunshine Stars. Sunshine Stars agaghi a kwusi nwu anyi (Sunshine Stars cannot stop us)

Remember,
the last time Rangers International League title was in 1984, a whole thirty
two years ago.

In
that year, Rangers topped the table ahead of New Nigeria Bank complete with
Stephen Keshi, Sunday Eboigbe, Bright Omokaro, Henry Nwosu, Samson Ozogula and
the rest of those super stars. Shooting Stars finished in third place while
Abiola Babes were 4th on the final table.

The
stadium was already packed by the time I got in just ten minutes before kickoff.

There
was excitement in the air as fans still trickled in to fill up the few empty
seats left in the twenty five thousand capacity cathedral.

The
fans sang the Rangers anthem and the feeling was one of nostalgia.

I
had visited stadiums in Nigeria and had match day experiences of championship
winning sides just before they won the title but none whatsoever was like this.

Certainly
not Aba with Enyimba, Port Harcourt with Dolphins, Yenagoa with Bayelsa United
or Kano with Kano Pillars. I had seen all these but none matched the Enugu
scenario.

There
was just something different about the atmosphere in Enugu as the fans saw it
as three match days left to glory.

I
asked the coach, Imama Amapakabo at night after the game why he thought it was
so, because it was not just about Enugu but the whole of the country, except of
course, Bauchi, Nnewi and Port Harcourt (for obvious reasons), seven out of ten
people wanted the Enugu side to win the league.

Was
it because of sympathy for a team that hadn’t tasted glory in thirty two years,
the fact that they played “Champagne football” or that they had a sweet talking
coach Nigerians loved?

Imama
told me it was a little of all three but most of all because Rangers played
football that was pleasing to the eyes and I agreed he was right.

Different matter
entirely on the pitch

By
the time the game kicked off, it was a different matter entirely on the pitch
as the Enugu lads played like a group possessed by a kind of spirit or on some
performance enhancing drug.

It
is no secret that Rangers are probably the finest playing side in Nigeria
today. Add Wikki Tourists to that list and, maybe, MFM FC and it was a delight
to watch them on the day against Sunshine Stars.

Their
passing game was sublime, their positioning, shape, and ball transition and all
just showed Rangers to be a well-coached side and the fact that they eventually
won the game 2-0 was no surprise.

Each
time Rangers scored, the fans in unison sang the “Holy, Holy Holy Holy, Enugu
Rangers” anthem of the club and I tell you when twenty three thousand people
sing in one voice the goose bumps will be all over you.

The
people of Enugu were having a party. All twenty three thousand of them and I
was a guest in that party and was enjoying every bit of it.

Even
when it rained, while some ran for cover, most of them stayed wet, drenched in
it, yet singing, dancing and enjoying the moment.

It
reminded me of the late 80s and 90s in Port Harcourt when I was simply just a
fan of Sharks and had danced in the rain too whilst celebrating great
victories.

The after party

At
the sound of the final whistle, the people refused to go home.

Having
won the game 2-0, they stayed back pitch side under the rain, singing and
dancing for another half hour.

As
far as they were concerned it was just one hundred and eighty minutes to glory.

They
sang the Rangers anthem time without number, they sang a couple of religious
songs (remember, they were doing this under the rain), and then they sang a
song with the hook, “thirty two years” depicting the fact they had not won the
title in thirty two years.

As
I looked on, took pictures and made a video I noticed that not one person in
that singing crowd looked more than thirty two years so apparently none of them
was born the last time Rangers won the title.

As
I made my way back to my hotel, I couldn’t help but watch those videos over and
over again.

The
people of Enugu deserve a league trophy and this is the closest they have been
to it since 2005 when they finished a close second to Enyimba.

If
this is how the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium is every match day, then the only place
I want to be on Match Day 38 is Enugu as they take on Elkanemi in what may be
the title decider.